Second Chances Ch. 13

The next morning after breakfast, Sarah settled into a comfortable chair and resumed her sewing. As she worked, she kept thinking about the previous night. The way Brian had taunted and tormented her, purposefully provoking her was so different than other times when he had been sweet, tender and caring. She couldn't figure out which side of him was the real Brian. She was finishing the last set of curtains when Liam walked in the door.

"I ripped my breeches," he said with a grimace. There was a long tear on the outside of his thigh.

"Did you cut yourself?" Sarah asked, setting her sewing aside.

"No, I just caught the cloth on a nail," he said, walking toward his room. "I came to change clothes."

"Bring the torn ones to me, and I'll mend them for you," she called after him.

When Liam returned, he handed her the torn breeches with a smile. "Thanks, Sarah. I'm no good with a needle and thread."

"I don't mind at all," she said, returning his smile.

Liam noticed something in her expression, and he tilted his head to one side, studying her. "Are you alright? You look a bit bothered."

Sarah laughed to ease his concern. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about Brian." A delicate blush colored her cheeks when she saw Liam's grin. "I can't quite decide whether he's a devil or a saint."

Liam laughed outright, shaking his head. "You'll never be able to decide that, Sarah. Brian's definitely a bit of both."

"Tell me about him," she said. "What was he like when you were growing up?"

"Hmmm," Liam said, sitting in the other chair. "Brian has always been a free spirit. It's nearly impossible to pin him down or make him do what he doesn't want to do. He's always had a wild streak a mile wide, as Pa would say. He used to do things on purpose, things he knew were going to get him into trouble. I could swear sometimes, he liked to provoke Pa's temper just to prove he could. And he did the same with me and Aidan, still does as a matter of fact. He will pick and prod until we jump on him, punching and yelling. Then, he just laughs because he made us so mad."

"That sounds like Brian," Sarah said ruefully, thinking about how he had provoked her temper by calling her crude names.

"Mama used to say he did it because he needed to release his pent up feelings. He's never been too good at expressing his feelings. I think Mama always understood him better than anyone. She used to tell Pa that Brian had no choice but to be naughty sometimes. She said that even if it wasn't in his nature, being the middle child, it was the only way he could get the attention he needed."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked with a frown.

Liam shrugged. "Aidan was always so responsible and good, he never had any trouble winning our parents' approval and praise." Liam gave her a conspiratorial wink, "And of course, I got my share of attention because I was the baby. I guess Brian must have felt like he could never compete with his brothers, so he might as well do whatever he wanted and to hell with the consequences. His devil-may-care attitude got him into plenty of hot water with Pa over the years."

"Do you think he resents you and Aidan?" Sarah asked quietly.

Liam laughed at the suggestion. "No. He thinks the world of both of us. That cabin we built for Aidan was Brian's idea. He wanted to surprise our brother." Liam smiled at her. "Brian is a romantic at heart, although he doesn't like others to know it. In fact, he'll tease and torment you, drive you crazy with anger just to cover up his softer emotions."

"Hmmm," Sarah said with a thoughtful frown, "I can easily believe that."

Liam looked at her and smiled. "Still, whenever I'm in trouble, there's no one I'd rather have beside me than Brian."

"So you trust him?" Sarah asked.

"I'd trust Brian with anything, whether it was my most prized possession or my life. He can't stand to see anyone hurt. In fact, when we were boys, I remember one time in particular. Brian took the blame for something I had done, and Pa took him outside to tan his backside. I confessed to Mama and asked her to make Pa stop. I remember she just shook her head and sighed. She said I should leave it alone, that Brian would rather take a whipping himself than to see me get one."

"That doesn't sound very fair," Sarah said. "Did that happen often?"

"No," Liam said, shaking his head with a grimace. "I learned a hard lesson that day, watching Brian get spanked and knowing I was to blame. I never let that happen again."

"Sounds like you love Brian as much as he loves you," Sarah said with a soft smile.

"It's impossible not to love Brian. He can be maddening, always playing wicked pranks and then laughing at you when you fall for them. But underneath, he has the most loyal and kind heart. If you've given him your heart, you can trust that he will never break it. He'll do everything in his power to keep you safe and happy." He gave Sarah a grin. "Does that ease your mind?"

Sarah blushed again, realizing that Liam knew more about her feelings for Brian than she had thought. "Yes it does. Thank you, Liam."

"My pleasure," Liam said as he rose from the chair. He went to the door and paused, sending her one more grin. "Oh and by the way, there's one more thing you should know about Brian. He only torments the people he loves the most. If he's been driving you crazy, you can be assured that he truly cares about you."

"That's not very comforting," Sarah said with a laugh.

"Mama always told Pa that the right woman would bring him to heel someday. I'm convinced you're the one she had in mind."

Liam left before Sarah could answer, and she sank back against the chair with a sigh. She thought about everything he had told her, replaying Brian's actions in her mind. She began to see him in an entirely different light. He had the devil's handsome looks, and he certainly had the devil's charm. Sarah smiled secretively as she nibbled on her fingertips. Still, she knew he would always love his angel, even if he did like to singe her wings.

********

Brian gave Liam a questioning glance as he drove the last nail into a window frame. "What took you so long?" he asked, stepping back to inspect his work.

"I was just talking with Sarah," Liam said. He flashed his brother a grin. "She was asking about you. I got the impression you've been up to your usual tricks, tormenting the poor girl in some way or other. Seems she can't decide what to think about you."

Brian frowned thoughtfully. He had gone pretty far with teasing Sarah. The sight of her, so outraged and furious, had only made him want to provoke her more. She had looked so damned beautiful, he just hadn't been able to stop himself. He hoped he hadn't really hurt her feelings.

"Did she seem upset?" Brian asked carefully.

Liam shrugged. "Not really. I think she just wanted to know that you aren't going to hurt her."

"What did you tell her?" he asked.

"I told her that if she knew what was good for her, she would run like the devil himself was nipping at her heels." When Brian glared at him, Liam laughed. "You can dish it out, but you can't take it, huh Brian?"

Realizing that Liam was only teasing him, Brian relaxed. "What did you really tell her?"

"I told her all about you. I told her that beneath your wicked exterior, you have a heart of gold. I told her that she's the perfect woman for you."

"You talk too much," Brian grumbled, "but you're right. She is the woman for me. It's driving me crazy that I can't do anything to help her regain her memory so that we can prove she isn't a murderer."

"She hasn't remembered anything else about her past?"

"Not other than what I've already told you. I can't stand waiting around. What if her memory never comes back? I can't keep her hidden here forever."

"Give it some time, Brian. Her memory has been coming back in dribs and drabs. There's no reason to think that won't continue. For now, she's safe." Liam gave his brother a grin and raised a mocking brow. "At least, she's safe from everybody except you. That's an entirely different story."

*********

Sarah was making another batch of hot rolls when Brian came through the front door. She had just turned the dough out on the kitchen table and had begun to knead it before separating it into buns. She paused, giving Brian a glorious smile of welcome, and he breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that she wasn't upset with him.

"You're early," she exclaimed. "I won't have lunch ready for at least another half an hour."

Brian leaned back against the door, enjoying the sight of his angel. Her sleeves were rolled up to keep them clean, and she looked so prim and proper with a dish towel tied around her waist as an apron. No one would ever guess from looking at her that she shared his darker passions.

He pushed away from the door, prowling toward her with a glint of mischief in his eyes. He embraced her from behind, gripping her waist as he trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses down the side of her neck.

"We finished the cabin. All that's left to do is move Naomi and Aidan's things in and hang the curtains you made."

"You two must be hungry then," Sarah said, breathless from his kisses. "Just let me finish these rolls. I'll try to hurry so I can start on lunch."

"Take your time," Brian murmured, nibbling her earlobe. "I don't want you to rush the bread. You know how much I love your hot rolls."

As he said it, he slid his hands up to cup her breasts. He kneaded them, chuckling when Sarah gasped.

Brian didn't seem the least bit concerned, as he continued to play with her breasts and explore her neck. Sarah was not so blasé about the possibility of being caught, and she squirmed in his arms, trying to make him remove his hands.

"Brian, stop that. I mean it!" she hissed.

"Why, Sarah? Are you afraid Liam might find out what a passionate little angel you are?" Brian easily resisted the pull of her hands on his wrists as he continued to knead her breasts. "He would take one look at your hard little nipples and know that you loved what I'm doing to you."

Sarah groaned in frustration. "You're making me get flour on my bodice. Stop it, I say!"

"Then keep your hands on the table, where they belong," Brian murmured.

Realizing that her angry protests weren't having the desired effect, Sarah flashed him a pleading look. "Please, Brian. Leave my breasts alone before Liam comes in and sees what you're doing."

Brian shrugged and released her nipples. "Alright, if you insist."

Sarah was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she felt him pulling up the back of her skirt. Her eyes widened with alarm. "Brian! What are you doing?"

"You said to leave your breasts alone, so I'm going to play with the rest of you."

He tucked the hem of her skirt into the dish towel around her waist, leaving her entire backside exposed. Sarah gasped and reached to release her skirt, but she groaned because her hands were covered in sticky dough.

"Put my skirt down!" she wailed.

"I don't want to," Brian said with a grin.

He held her still with an arm around her waist while he caressed her bottom. Even through her pantalets, the heat of his palm seared her skin. Sarah felt her cheeks flood with color. She again tried to reach her skirt to pull it down, despite the fact that her fingers were coated with flour and sticky dough.

"You're going to make me get my skirt dirty," she groaned.

Brian grasped her wrists and plunged them into the dough on the table. "Then keep them on the table, where they belong."

His breath was hot against her ear, and his voice was firm and commanding. He released her wrists and resumed his wicked caresses.

"Brian," she gasped. Her voice was beginning to rise in panic. "Brian, you can't do this. Liam is going to walk through that door any second, and he'll see me in my pantalets!"

"I wouldn't want that," Brian murmured. "Let's take them off."

He tugged the drawstring loose and her pantalets dropped into a puddle around her ankles. Sarah gasped, blushing even brighter red. She started to reach for them, and Brian slapped her hard on the bottom, leaving a large red imprint of his hand on her ivory skin.

"Brian!" she shrieked. Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at him in astonishment.

"I said to keep your hands on the table, where they belong. Move them again, and you'll get another spanking."

Brian's voice was hard and uncompromising and Sarah gaped at him. She was beginning to panic, because he showed no signs of stopping his wicked play. She was mortified that Liam would open the door any moment.

"Brian, that's enough!" She began to reach for her pantalets. "I'm not going to stand here and let you...Ouch!" Brian landed an equally hard slap on the opposite side of her bottom, and she squealed. "That hurts!" she gasped. "How dare you...ouch!"

Brian began spanking her in earnest, smiling as she squirmed and squealed. He held her easily, pinned against the table with one arm around her waist as he paddled her bottom until it was red and fiery hot to the touch. She struggled for all she was worth, raining curses on his head as she threatened him with retribution. Brian only spanked her harder. He kept on until she stopped struggling. She cried softly, yelping each time he landed another hard slap on her burning bottom. When he judged her to be suitably subdued, he smoothed his hand over her bottom, soothing the blistered globes with calming strokes.

"That's better," he growled in her ear. "Now keep your hands where they belong, and I won't have to spank you anymore."

"You're a brute," she whined. "I can't believe you're doing this."

Brian grinned, still stroking her bottom. "Sarah, you know how much I love your hot rolls." He gave her sore bottom a squeeze, chuckling when she yelped from the pain. "And there's nothing better than a fresh hot bun with butter."

He reached around her and smeared his fingers into the pot of butter on the table, lifting a large glob and showing it to her. Sarah's eyes widened and she gulped.

"Mmmm," he purred, smearing the butter onto her bottom while she squirmed and whined. When he had covered her entire ass with greasy butter, he grinned. "That looks absolutely mouthwatering."

"What are you doing?" she gasped, twisting to see over her shoulder.

Brian knelt down behind her and began licking the globes of her bottom. His tongue was both delightfully soothing and sinfully stimulating as he licked every inch of her burning bottom. Sarah moaned. She was torn between the pleasure he was forcing on her and the fear of being caught. She clutched her fingers into the sticky dough and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the throbbing in her pussy. She sobbed, thinking that she couldn't resist for much longer, and she had to make Brian stop.

Brian ignored her and kept lapping the butter off her behind. He savored every inch of her delectable bottom, laving her with firm strokes of his tongue.

"Brian, please," she sobbed. "Please stop."

"I'll make you a deal," Brian murmured, still licking her bottom. "If your pussy is dry, I'll stop. If it's wet, I'll continue."

Sarah sobbed in earnest, knowing very well that her pussy was sopping wet. She could feel the folds throbbing and aching and the trickle of fluid running down her inner thighs. She tried to keep her legs squeezed together when Brian inserted a hand and nudged gently. He slapped her bottom, and she jerked, loosening her thighs. He held her pantalets down with his knee and pressed her thighs open, forcing her to step out of her underwear. She moaned, knowing that her pussy was fully exposed.

"What do we have here?" Brian asked with a wicked chuckle. He stroked her pussy, laughing again when her copious fluid began to run down his fingers. "There's gravy to go with the rolls."

Sarah's face felt like it was on fire with the heat of her blush. She tried to clench her thighs together again. Brian gave her bottom an especially hard slap, and she yelped. He met her eye and gave her a pointed stare, raising a menacing brow. She faced the table, gulped again and spread her legs, opening them even wider than before when he prompted her with his hand.

"That's better," he sighed. "Open those thighs nice and wide, angel. I want a taste of this delicious sauce."

He slowly ran his tongue the full length of her slit, moaning his pleasure as he tasted her. Sarah had never felt more embarrassed or more aroused. She gasped, curling her toes as she tried to resist his wicked temptation. He must be the devil, she thought wildly. Only Satan himself could make her feel so wanton and reckless. With every swipe of his tongue along her pussy, she was growing less concerned with getting caught and more concerned with reaching her climax.

Brian tortured her, nibbling at her clit and probing her with his hot tongue. He grinned as he listened to her panting breaths and desperate moans. He probed her with two broad fingers, finding and stroking her most sensitive inner spot. She sobbed, arching against his hand as he toyed with her. When he had her writhing above him, begging for release, he suckled hard on her clit and pressed his fingers against the vulnerable bundle of nerves inside her. She shattered, screaming her pleasure as she slumped over the table.

Brian smiled, bestowing a fond kiss on her quivering pussy before he straightened to his feet behind her. He unbuttoned his breeches, freeing his aching cock as he waited for her to catch her breath. He reached around her, cupping her breasts once more.

Sarah gasped from the heat of his erection pressing into the crack of her bottom. "Brian," she pleaded, "I know you aren't going to stop, but could you please hurry? I would die if Liam walks in and sees us like this." Her voice shook with her distress.

"I don't want to hurry, my angel."

As Brian said the words, he began unbuttoning her bodice, stopping when he was halfway to her waist. He started on the buttons of her chemise, and Sarah squeezed her eyes shut with a pained groan.

"If he's going to catch us, he might as well see everything," Brian said.

He pulled her dress and chemise down around her upper arms, trapping them close against her sides. Her naked breasts popped free as if they were dying to be released. Sarah glanced down at her pouting nipples and she groaned again. She could imagine how wanton and shameless she looked, but she knew there was no way to make Brian stop.

"Brian, please just hurry up and finish. I'm begging you."

"Do you really want me to hurry, my angel?"

"Yes! Yes, please," she cried.

"Because I was planning to take you nice and slow," Brian murmured.

He moistened the tip of his cock and pressed into her, taking an eternity to reach her depths. The slowness of the penetration made Sarah feel every inch of his erection as he shoved himself inside her. She released a guttural moan of pleasure and he grinned. He grasped both of her breasts and began to stroke, twisting hard on her nipples as he probed her with leisurely, deep thrusts. Sarah moaned again, bracing her hands on the table and pressing her bottom back against him.

"I was planning to wallow in your luscious tight pussy," he growled in her ear. "I was planning to show you that there are other ways I can claim your sweet body other than fast...and hard...and deep."

He punctuated each of the words with an agonizingly slow thrust. Sarah shuddered from the pleasure of it. She could feel every ridge on his cock as he probed her with relentless repetition. She mewled, tilting her hips backward to allow him to penetrate even deeper into her hungry pussy. Each time he retreated, she held her breath, desperate for him to plunge inside her again. Each time he did so, she moaned with relief, clutching him with her inner muscles to keep him from leaving her.